Vacuum cleaner



Inventov: Noble H.Watts b3 His Attovneg.

May 5, 1936. N. H. WATTS VACUUM CLEANER Filed Oct. 18, 1933 Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE General New York Electric Company, a corporation of Application October 18, 1933, Serial No, 694,094

6Glaims.

The present invention relates to electric vacuum cleaners of the portable household type and has for its object to provide an improved construction and arrangement of supporting wheels for such cleaners whereby thesuction nozzle may be adjusted readily and conveniently and whereby there is provided a simple, compact, neat ap-' peering construction capable of being manufactured at low cost and not likely to get out of order. For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

v Inthe drawing, Fig. lisaperspectiveview of an electric vacuum cleaner provided with wheel supporting and adjusting means embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 is a detailedperspective view in section illustrating-the mechanism.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates the easing of a vacuum cleaner, 2 indicates the nozzle, 3 indicates the handle and 4 indicates the dust bag. The cleaner casing is supported by two front wheels 5 located just back of the suction nozzle (only one of which shows in the drawing) and by two rear wheelsj located under a rearextension 1 which forms a part of the cleaner casing.

With this arrangement, it will be seen that by raising and lowering the rear wheels, the casing willbetinnedonthefront wheelsasafulcrum to raise and lower'the suction nozzle relatively to the floor. The present invention relates particularly to an improved arrangement for raising and lowering the rear wheels.

In the side walls of extension I are two vertically extending holes, 8 in which are located slidable tubular sleeves 9. FWheelsJ are pivoted in yokes III to which are attached'posts II' (this being a usual castor construction) which'flt into sleeves 9 so that the posts may swivel therein.

On the upper ends of sleeves 9 are circular racks comprising teeth l2 which mesh with pinions II fixed by set screws II to a shaft II pivotally mounted in bearings IS in opposite side walls of extension I. By providing circular racks on the sleeves 9, the sleeves may rotate in the openingsttoassistthecastersinmaintainingthe wheelsinalignmentandtheplnions l3 willbe kept in continuous mesh with the The outer sides of pinions I 3 engage the ends of bearings I6, thus serving to hold shaft l5 against transverse movement but permitting it to turn freely in its bearings.

For turning shaft l5, there is provided a lever II which at one end is fixed to the shaft, the other end projecting-out through a slot IS in the top wall IQ of extension I and being provided with a handle 20. Slot I 8 extends down through the rear wall of extension I also, so as to provide for ample adjustment. This brings the handle out to a point on top of the cleaner casing where it is readily accessible and convenient to reach.

For holding shaft I5 in any adjusted position, a segment 2| having pointed teeth 22 on its edge is fastened on the shaft by a set screw 23, and is adapted to be engaged by a roller 24 carried by a yoke 25 on the rear end of a lever arm 26. The forward end of lever arm 26 is provided with a sleeve 21 pivotally molmted on a shaft 28 carried by the side walls of extension I. On the top of yoke 25 is a short guide pin 2! which projects into a vertical opening 3. in the top-wall I! of extensionland thepinisasprlng 3| located in opening II and held under compression by an adjustable threaded plug 32. Spring 3| holds roller 24 in engagement with teeth 22.

For balancing, or partially balancing the upward thrust of sleeves 9 on pinions II, due to the weight of the cleaner, there is provided a coiled spring 33 which surroimds' shaft I! with one end hooked around a pin 34 in the shaft and the other end-engaging a wall 35 which forms a part of extension I. Spring 33 is under suitable tension in a direction such that it tends to oppose tuming of'shaft I5 due to the weight of the cleaner resting on wheels 6. In other words, spring 33 actingonshaftlitendingtoturnitinonedirection serves to balance the weight of cleaner body which tends to turn shaft [5 in the other direction. This means that shaft I5 is held from turning primarily by spring pressed roller 24 and that when lever I1 is turned in aedirection either to raise or lower wheels 6, it is necessary only to overcomethe pressure of spring 2| so as to cause roller 24 to ride over the sloping sides of teeth 22. l

The discharge tube 36 to which dust bag 4 is connectedcommunicates with a passage 31 in the lower portion of extension I which passage is a formed by walls of extension I. Passage 3! and tube 36 are located centrally at the rear of the cleaner casing and it will be noted that openings 8 are formed one oneach side of passage 31 while the adjusting mechanism is located in extension I above such passage. This construction gives a compact symmetrical arrangement and one wherein'the parts are enclosed.

9 and the wheels. when shaft It turns, seg

ment 2| turns with it, riding under roller 24, notch by notch. The handle, itself, serves as an indication of the adjustment of the wheels and,

since the movement of the handle is through a relatively large arc, accurate adjustment is readily made. If desired, marks may be provided on the casing adjacent to the slot I8 to indicate correct wheel adjustments. What I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having walls forming a discharge conduit at its rear and having spaced side walls on opposite sides of the discharge conduit extending above the discharge conduit, means connecting said discharge conduit and said side walls whereby said discharge conduit reinforces said sidewalls, vertically arranged passages between the side walls on opposite sides of the discharge conduit, members slidably mounted in said passages, wheels carried by the lower ends of said members, the upper ends of said members being provided with teeth, a shaft mounted transversely in said side walls, means including pinions on the shaft between said side walls for meshing with the teeth on said members, and a lever projecting beyond the confines of said side walls for turning said pinions. 2. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing having spaced vertical rear walls with circular openings therein having vertical axes, adjustable members in said openings, wheels carried by said members, a transverse shaft in said walls, a lever connected to said shaft and projecting through a wall of the casing for turning the shaft, pinions mounted on the shaft, and circular racks on the said members with which the pinions mesh.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing including a hollow rear extension having spaced side walls, walls extending between the top and rear edges of the side walls, a discharge conduit between said side walls, supporting wheels below said rear pinions.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing including a hollow rear extension having spaced side walls,

walls extending between the topand rear edges 9 01' the side walls, a discharge conduit between and at the lower ends of the side walls, means connecting said discharge conduit and said side walls whereby said discharge conduit reinforces said sidewalls, supporting wheels below said rear extension, means including a rotatable shaft within the confines of the walls of said extension and outside said discharge conduit for adjusting the vertical position of said wheels, and means including a lever projecting beyond the confines oi the walls of said extension for rotating said shaft. 1

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing including a hollow rear extension having spaced side walls, walls extending between the top and rear edges of the side walls, means including a discharge conduit between the side walls for forming the bottom wall of the extension, supporting wheels below the rear extension, and means within the confines of the walls of said extension and outside said discharge conduit for adjusting the vertical position of said wheels.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing including a hollow rear extension haying spaced side walls, walls extending between the top and rear edges of the side walls, a discharge conduit between and at the lower ends of said side walls, means connecting said discharge conduit and said side walls whereby said discharge conduit reinforces said side walls, vertically arranged passages between the side walls of said extension and on opposite sides of the discharge conduit, members slidably mounted in said passages, wheels carried by the lower ends of said members, the upper ends of said members being provided with teeth, a

'shaft mounted transversely in said side walls and outside said discharge conduit, means including pinions on the shaft between said'side walls for meshing with the teeth on said members, and a lever projecting beyond the confines of the walls of said extension for turning said NOBLE H. WATTS. 

